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Ambition Quotes

Browse 3325 quotes about Ambition.

Ambition Quotes

“Enslave a man and you destroy his ambition, his enterprise, his capacity. In the constitution of human nature, the desire of bettering one's condition is the mainspring of effort. The first touch of slavery snaps this spring.”

Men Firsts Humans Desire Effort Conditions Human Nature Ambition Spring Capacity Constitution Slavery Enterprise Snaps

Book:Slavery

Source: Slavery

“Ambitious men spend their youth in rendering themselves worthy of patronage; it is their great mistake. While the foolish creatures are laying in stores of knowledge and energy, so that they shall not sink under the weight of responsible posts that recede from them, schemers come and go who are wealthy in words and destitute of ideas, astonish the ignorant, and creep into the confidence of those who have a little knowledge.”

Source: The Magic Skin: Or The Wild Ass's Skin

“I have long been settled in my own opinion that neither Philosophy, nor Religion, nor Morality, nor Wisdom, nor Interest, will ever govern nations or Parties, against their vanity, their Pride, their Resentment, or Revenge, or their Avarice, or Ambition. Nothing but Force and Power and Strength can restrain them.”

Long Philosophy Force Nations Interest My Own Party Opinion Human Nature Pride Morality Ambition Revenge Vanity Resentment Avarice Power And Strength Force And Power

Book:John Adams: Writings from the New Nation, 1784-1826

Source: John Adams: Writings from the New Nation, 1784-1826

“My ambition is not only to chronicle but to interpret and reveal the movement of the mind and unfold the sources of India in the profound plane of human nature.”

Humans Human Nature Source Ambition India Profound Planes My Ambition

Author:Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

“Those people who are uncomfortable in themselves are disagreeable to others.”

People Inspirational Human Nature Identity Acceptance Integrity Ambition Uncomfortable Hypocrisy Disagreeable Trustworthiness

Book:Sketches and Essays

Source: Sketches and Essays

“The sentiments of men are known not only by what they receive, but what they reject also.”

Men Known Human Nature Ambition Rejects Sentiments

Book:Memoirs, Correspondence and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Late President of the United States

Source: Memoirs, Correspondence and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Late President of the United States

“Great Ambition, unchecked by principle, or the love of Glory, is an unruly Tyrant.”

Principles Human Nature Ambition Glory Tyrants Unruly Great Ambition

Book:The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Correspondence [contin.] 1795-1804; 1777; 1791. Letters of H. G. 1789. Address to public creditors. 1790. Vindication of funding system. 1791

Source: The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Correspondence [contin.] 1795-1804; 1777; 1791. Letters of H. G. 1789. Address to public creditors. 1790. Vindication of funding system. 1791

“There may be in every government a few choice spirits, who may act from more worthy motives. One great error is that we suppose mankind more honest than they are. Our prevailing passions are ambition and interest.”

May Government Spirit Choices Passion Interest Mankind Honest Human Nature Ambition Errors Worthy Motive Prevailing

Book:The Works of Alexander Hamilton

Source: The Works of Alexander Hamilton

“Ambition without principle never was long under the guidance of good sense.”

Long Principles Human Nature Ambition Guidance Good Sense

Book:The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Correspondence [contin.] 1795-1804; 1777; 1791. Letters of H. G. 1789. Address to public creditors. 1790. Vindication of funding system. 1791

Source: The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Correspondence [contin.] 1795-1804; 1777; 1791. Letters of H. G. 1789. Address to public creditors. 1790. Vindication of funding system. 1791

“The aim of life is some way of living, as flexible and gentle as human nature; so that ambition may stoop to kindness, and philosophy to condor and humor. Neither prosperity nor empire nor heaven can be worth winning at the price of a virulent temper, bloody hands, an anguished spirit, and a vain hatred of the rest of the world.”

“Human nature must have come much nearer perfection than it is now, or will be in many generations, to exclude from such a control prejudice, selfishness, ambition, and injustice.”

Humans Generations Human Nature Ambition Perfection Prejudice Injustice Selfishness

Book:Addresses on International Subjects

Source: Addresses on International Subjects